The .45-75 Winchester cartridge, also known as .45-75 WCF (Winchester Center Fire), is a black powder round introduced in 1876 for the Winchester Model 1876 lever-action rifle. It was developed to provide greater power and range than earlier cartridges used in lever-action rifles, making it suitable for hunting large game such as deer, bear, and elk.
The .45-75 WCF has a bottlenecked case design, with a bullet diameter of approximately .458 inches and a case length of about 1.89 inches. It was originally loaded with 75 grains of black powder, propelling a 350-grain bullet at around 1380 feet per second.
As a black powder cartridge, it has largely been replaced by more modern smokeless powder rounds, but it remains of historical interest and is occasionally used by enthusiasts of vintage firearms and cowboy action shooting.